Stroll for Your Soul - 2

Blessings.
Today we continue with our series of inspirational messages that will focus on Homes, as we take time to stroll our neighbourhoods, back yards, parks, or just sit and look out a window. This resource is adapted from, and used with permission from, The Prayer Bench (https://prayerbench.ca/).

Our Habitat for Today 
The loon in a quiet, freshwater lake often in a wilderness area. 

Reflection: Facing into the Wind  
I love loons. They are found in every province and territory in Canada. Our $1 coin, popularly called “a loonie,” features a solitary loon. 
Loons are a migratory bird and nest on freshwater lakes. They need a rather long lake. With their heavy body, they “run” for several metres along the surface of the water on a calm day to gain enough speed to fly.  

We might want to think about the metaphor of the loon running into the wind today. What are you facing today? What’s in your day? Before you Stroll, take a moment to hold in prayer your day, and all that is in it.

Loons have a distinctive call. It is haunting. I’ve read that the Ojibawa people credit the loon’s voice as the inspiration for the Native American flute. For many, it is a call to wilderness and solitude. What challenges do you face in carving out time for quiet and solitude? 

Know what is most distinctive about loons? Their chicks ride along on their parent’s backs when they are very young. This keeps them safe from predators above and below water, helps them rest and conserve their body energy. It is a beautiful thing to see.

You might not hear loons on your Stroll today. But, perhaps, you can use this time to cherish the space of solitude within. 

Peace to your house, Loons.  May God cause all to be well with you.

Focus for Your Stroll: Making a Wilderness Practice 

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” - Mark 1:35 

If you are able, give some thought to where you could stroll today that might offer a sense of solitude or wilderness. 

Practicing “wilderness” is simply the freedom to be alone with your inner life. It might be a place you pause to write or draw. It might simply be a quiet place within where you enjoy being with yourself, in the protection of the Divine. 

Video: Restore The Call